


You Were Always One Step Ahead

by Ithinkwehaveanemergency



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Minor Spoilers, Oblivious Evan "Buck" Buckley, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:27:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24141322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ithinkwehaveanemergency/pseuds/Ithinkwehaveanemergency
Summary: "I'm not going to go find someone to date just because I don't want to be alone for one day."  Buck huffs, chucking the classy wedding invitation onto the coffee table and sinking into the couch.Eddie sits up and grabs the card.  He turns it over in his hand studying it with much more concentration than necessary."You could take me."  Eddie says out loud, more to the room than to Buck.  "I mean, since I actually kind of know them and everything.  Might be fun."OrBuck misses four ideal opportunities to go on a date with the man he loves.  Then, Abby tells him he's an idiot.A post-finale 4 + 1 fic that no one wants but you're all getting anyway, I don't make the rules.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 35
Kudos: 478





	You Were Always One Step Ahead

**Author's Note:**

> We all know I hate writing for shows as they air, so... I'm back bitches.
> 
> This is just the start of my flood of Buddie fics featuring overdone tropes. I apologize in advance.
> 
> Title from _"Palm Trees" by Lowell_

1.

The 118 crew is scattered around the top level of the firehouse, relaxing on a blessedly slow afternoon.

Spring had been good to the crew so far.

Eddie was happier than ever to see his son after camp, and the entire 118 was overjoyed for the man after the year he'd had.

Hen savors every day with her fire family, knowing that she's due to depart forever soon, and Chimney is constantly reading baby books, much to the entertainment of his peers.

Buck has surprisingly made friends with Sam and Abby, he and Eddie spending quite a bit of time getting to know the soon to be married couple while Christopher is away at camp.

Since the quiet day gives the time for it, Bobby and the new guy are downstairs going over some processes and procedures, while the rest of the shift staff are preparing dinner or lounging in the kitchen area.

"Ugh! I hear they have the best Tom Kha in all of Los Angeles." Buck groans in exaggerated pain as he rubs his stomach. "I can't believe you guys went without me."

"It was a _date_ , Buck. With my pregnant, moody, hormonal girlfriend." Chimney's eyes roll back in his head and he sighs, settling against the counter next to Hen. "I would say that we'll invite you next time, but it's a pretty fancy restaurant. I wouldn't normally splurge for that kind of place, not with the baby coming, but your sister loves Thai."

" _I love Thai!_ " Buck pouts. "And I don't exactly have someone to take me to dinner at the nicest new restaurant in town. You guys should be prematurely treating me to nice things in return for all the babysitting I'm going to be doing! Come _on._ "

"I'll take you." Eddie shrugs, still chopping vegetables for stew. Everyone in the room turns to the previously silent man at the stove. He doesn't look back at Buck, so he doesn't see the brief look of surprise and hope that flashes across the blonde's face. He simply tilts his head to his shoulder as he chops. "I've never been _that_ into Thai food, but would love the chance to go out to a nice restaurant and feel like an adult for a change. It's been a while. I was far too anxious to take advantage of Christopher's time away."

Buck's excitement drops a bit and he smiles fondly at his best friend's back.

"It's alright, Eddie." Buck laughs. "It's a bit ridiculous price-wise for someone who doesn't even _like_ Thai. We'll all do a night at that Tapas bar you like soon, right guys? Have an adult night out, and stick the preggos with babysitting duty."

Buck looks around the kitchen for support and finds Hen and Chimney sipping from coffee mugs with blank expressions, both blinking at him like he's speaking some foreign language.

"Yeah, sure." Eddie throws a small smile over his shoulder as he throws carrots into the pot. "Sounds good, Buck."

2.

Buck and Eddie shoot hoops on a Tuesday afternoon off at the park, as Chris hangs out with some new friends from school.

"You know." Buck pants, holding the basketball at his side as Eddie takes a long drink from his water bottle. "I think those moms are watching us more than the kids. Not sure I'm comfortable with that."

"Oh, I know." Eddie frowns, breathing hard as he sets down his bottle and walks back onto the court. "If I didn't know they were good kids, I'd be concerned about Chris being over there with them."

Buck shakes his head and dribbles the ball between his hands absently.

"As is…" Eddie heaves a sigh and puts his hands out for Buck to check him the ball. "I've been watching them instead of focusing on the game. That's the only reason I'm losing."

"Whatever, jerk." Buck laughs as they restart their game.

The two play to fourteen this time around, Eddie just barely winning on a four point come-from-behind after Christopher and his new friends walk over to cheer them on.

"Nice, dad!" Chris laughs as his dad comes over to get high fives from the kids. "Though I think Buck let you win."

"Excuse me?!" Eddie scoffs in shock at his son's words.

Buck bursts into laughter behind him, water spraying out of his mouth mid-sip.

"That was a close game, gentlemen." One of the moms says in what is probably supposed to be a flirtatious tone. "We should celebrate over pizza at my place? The boys wanted to have a little movie watch party. That new Avengers film. We'd love for Christopher to come. Both of _you_ should _come_ as well."

Buck snorts loudly and covers it up by feigning the act of choking on his water still.

"Uh." Eddie scratches his head, fighting back a smile. "Chris can come with you guys for a bit, I suppose, but Evan and I had plans at my house. He was going to help me with some things that need… doing… and then we have dinner plans.. But yeah! Thanks for the invite. Maybe next time."

The woman nods and squints at Eddie, then Buck.

"I see." She smiles tightly. "Sorry, yes of course. Your son is delightful, and he's always welcome. Would you like to pick him up at say… eight?"

"Perfect." Eddie nods before hugging Chris and telling him to call if he beeda anything.

Buck slings an arm over Eddies shoulder as Chris walks away with the young boys and the two mothers they're supervised by.

"Wow." Buck chuckles. "Is she even a single mom?"

"Nope." Eddie sighs and shakes his head.

Buck throws his head back and cackles, pulling away to grab his duffel bag and Eddie's backpack. He hands the backpack to Eddie and grins.

"I'm guessing you don't actually need help at the house?"

"I don't." Eddie cringes. "But thanks for not calling me out. We can still have dinner though. I can make us fajitas and we can throw on a movie?"

"Nah. It's cool." Buck snorts. "I absolutely don't blame you for using me to get out of going with those hungry piranhas, but I won't hold you to the meal. I should go shower anyway. And do laundry. I'm covering half a shift in the morning _before_ our regular shift. Gotta be there early as hell. I'll probably go to bed right after I finish laundry. What is my _life_ even? Nine o'clock bedtime?"

Buck scoffs and picks up his backpack. Eddie smiles up at him from the bench.

"Alright. I'll see you at work, then."

"Yep. Bring me a bagel on your way to work." Buck throws a half-assed salute as he walks to his jeep, leaving Eddie staring after him.

3.

Buck gets the invite to Abby's wedding sent to him at the station.

The woman includes a note saying that she isn't sure of his current address, and didn't want to text for it because it seemed a little invasive. The note also says that he can bring +2 if he needs to, and Buck furrows his brow in confusion at that. He pockets the note and stares at the invitation instead.

"Oh, is that from Abby?" Hen walks behind him and then takes the seat across from him. Eddie follows her and plops tiredly next to Buck on the large couch. "When is the wedding again?"

"Uh…" Buck scans the card and sighs. "June 24th. I need to rsvp by June 1st, since it's already past the original RSVP date."

"That's really soon." Hen hums. She looks at Buck cautiously. "You gonna go? You guys are good now, right?"

"Yeah." Buck inhales a large breath and then blows it out slowly. "Yeah. We're great. I'm just not sure I want to go to my ex's wedding solo, y'know? Like, going to weddings stag wasn't so bad back when I was…"

Buck trails off and waves the card in his hand aimlessly.

"A manwhore?" Eddie arches an eyebrow at his best friend who frowns disapproving in return.

"Why do I share things with you?" Buck snorts and shakes his head incredulously. Eddie aims a satisfied smirk at him in return. "Anyway, I think seeing people all in love and shit might get me all in my feelings."

"So take someone?" Hen suggests, eyes flitting over to the other side of the couch briefly. She shrugs and raises her hands in earnest when it garners a dubious frown from Buck.

"I'm not going to go find someone to date just because I don't want to be alone for one day." Buck huffs, chucking the classy wedding invitation onto the coffee table and sinking into the couch.

Eddie sits up and grabs the card. He turns it over in his hand studying it with much more concentration than necessary.

"You could take me." Eddie says out loud, more to the room than to Buck. "I mean, since I actually kind of know them and everything. Might be fun."

Buck's eyes widen and he laughs loudly, kicking his leg out to the side to knock against Eddie's calf.

"That's really nice of you, Eds." Buck yawns and stretches out. "I'm just being a whiner. I'm sure I'll be fine going alone. I'm a responsible adult. I can handle being at the singles table. But man, you're an amazing friend for being willing to sit through a wedding to make me feel better."

Eddie shrugs and sets the card down. He stands and walks to the fridge to get a water bottle.

"I'm gonna go get some weights in." Eddie gives Hen and Buck an exhausted smile before heading for the stairs.

Buck puts his feet up on the space Eddie vacated and then looks over at his coworker. She's giving him a severely disapproving stare.

"You are five kinds of stupid, Buck." Hen chuckles, before getting up to go to the pantry to find a snack.

Buck stares after her in confusion.

"Rude." He huffs and settles into the couch for a quick nap.

4.

They run into Abby at the farmers market a week later. She's thrilled to see Chris. They both were endlessly charmed by each other the first time they met.

They've all been sitting on the steps eating ice cream for a while, when Eddie mentions they've got to get going if they want to make it to the concert in the park.

"Actually, I've got a headache." Christopher sighs slowly and frowns up at his dad. "I'm not sure I'm up to it now. It'll be loud."

Eddie opens his mouth, brow furrowed in concerned, but Abby interrupts him.

"Hey, I was going to go home and do some baking." Abby smiles at Eddie and then Chris. "Would you want to come over and sit at my house, maybe help me make banana bread and blondies? Then your dad and Buck could check out the concert and come get you in a couple hours?"

Chris perks up and looks at his dad with obvious interest in the idea. Chris loves banana bread and everyone knows it.

Eddie tilts his head in thought and is about to approve of the plan, but he's cut off again.

"Hey, little man." Buck reaches out and runs his hand gently across Chris's head. "We wouldn't wanna go without you. We'll stick with you, and we can still go over to Abby's if she's willing to extend her invitation to us old folks."

Chris beams at Buck and then looks hopefully at Abby and Eddie.

"Sure." Abby nods, but she's no longer smiling widely, looking at Eddie with a sad expression instead.

"Yeah. Okay." Eddie nods and stands. "I gotta find a bathroom before we head out. Anyone else gotta go?"

"Yep." Chris nods enthusiastically and stands, walking alongside his father to the market's indoor restrooms. Buck and Abby watch them walk away, the blonde smiling fondly as Eddie laughs loudly at something his son says.

As soon as they're out of sight, Abby swats Buck with the back of her hand.

"Hey, wha-"

"You seriously haven't gotten your shit together yet?" Abby stares at him wide-eyed. "Is this why you RSVPed for just one? God, you're killing me, Buck!"

"What are you _talking_ about?" Buck rears back.

"You're not dating Eddie!" Abby hisses.

"What?!" Buck shakes his head. "Of course not, Abby, why would-"

"Because he's in love with you?" Abby rolls her eyes. And from how often you stare at his butt, which _no one blames you for_ , you're clearly at least _a little_ into him too."

"I do not!" Buck gasps. "Wait, he's _what?_ "

Abby facepalms and groans. Buck shakes his head and does a pufferfish impression for a long moment while the woman next to him glares.

"Is that why you said I could bring a +2?" Buck frowns. "Because you assumed I'd want to bring Eddie and Chris?"

"Well, yes!" Abby's voice pitches in exasperation. "I'm sure that they would love to be there. If I knew that you were an idiot, I would have just sent them their own invite!"

Buck bites his lip and then sucks in a shocked breath.

"What." Abby blinks at her ex-boyfriend.

"Eddie…" Buck shakes his head and his eyes go wide, distraught. "Eddie offered to be my +1 when I got the invite. I just thought he was suggesting it as a pity thing."

"Christ. _Evan."_ Abby stands up and takes a few paces away, muttering and scrubbing her hand across her face. "You need to ask him, sweetheart. That poor man…"

Buck can't think of a response before Eddie and Chris amble back to them, greeted by Abby's enthusiastic inquiry if everyone is ready to 'get their bake on.'

+1

Buck bites at his cuticle as he watches Dominic Toretto make a car do something that defies all laws of physics. His other hand is tucked under his bicep and his heel is bouncing against the floor at a steady, rapid pace.

Suddenly, Dom's race car pauses mid-flight and Buck looks to his left, shaken from his daze.

Eddie is holding the remote and squinting at him.

"What is going on with you tonight?" Eddie continues studying Buck with a worried frown.

"Nothing. Sorry, nothing." Buck shakes his head and sits up straighter on the couch, rubbing his sweaty palms on his jean-clad thighs.

"Buck." Eddie sighs. He scratches at his scruffy jaw and wines as he speaks, as if the words pain him. "Are you… Are you still having a hard time being friends with Abby? Because you know, you don't-"

"No!" Buck shouts, before slapping a hand over his mouth, wincing at his volume. Chris is a heavy sleeper, but it's better safe than sorry. He shakes his head apologetically. "No, no. Definitely not. I'm… We're good. That's not what I was thinking about."

"Okay." Eddie draws the word out like a question, a prompt to continue.

Buck stares at Eddie for a moment and then sits up, angling himself toward the other man. He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes.

"Buck, whats-"

"Do you and Christopher want to go the wedding with me? As my plus ones?" Buck opens his eyes and stares at his best friend, nervousness making his hands clench tightly onto the fabric of the couch.

Eddie blinks at him and sets the remote down on the coffee table. He doesn't speak. Buck doesn't know what to do with that, so he starts rambling.

"And do you want to go try that fancy Thai place with me, that I still haven't tried? I keep hearing great things, and the pictures on Instagram look incredible, and I just-"

"Buck." Eddie reaches out and pries Buck's hand away from where it's denting the cushion. "Buck, you're ruining my poor couch."

Buck lets go and stares down at his hands in horror.

"God, I'm sorry. This was stupid, you don't have to-"

"Buck, stop." Eddie reaches out again, lacing his fingers in Buck's and squeezing until Buck looks into his eyes. He smiles softly. "If you're saying what I think you're saying, then yes. Yeah, Buck. I want all of that. With you. If you want it, then yes. To all of it."

Buck's heart beats loudly to his own ears, and he exhales a breath he wasn't aware he was holding. He laughs and squeezes the fingers slotted between his own.

"Really?" Buck grins. "Even though I was an oblivious dumbass who didn't figure it out even when everyone kept telling me what an idiot I was."

Eddie bites his lip around a laugh and shakes his head.

"You're not an idiot." Eddie's mouth turns up at the corner, and he rolls his eyes sheepishly. "I wasn't exactly… _direct_ about it. I was scared that you didn't want that with me, and I kept trying to be sort of discrete, so I wouldn't freak you out."

Buck tightens his grip and pulls Eddie toward him by their interlocked hands. Eddie scoots closer willingly, bringing his knee up onto the cushion to face Buck better. Buck brings his free hand up to Eddie's collarbone, running his thumb across the thin fabric.

"Definitely not freaked out." Buck whispers, leaning close. His eyes roam over dark, beautiful, familiar features, searching Eddie's vulnerable expression. "A little scared. But in a good way, I think."

"Yeah?" Eddie's breath smells like the chocolate chip blondies Abby sent them home with, and Buck is overwhelmed with feelings of comfort and satisfaction and _home_.

"Yeah." Buck nods, leaning in to press his mouth to Eddie's full lips, instantly whimpering at how soft and warm and _right_ the kiss feels. Judging by how Eddie presses back hard into the kiss, taking it deeper, the man is just as impressed by the long awaited lip-lock as Buck is.

They kiss and breathe closely for minutes or hours, Buck isn't sure. He only knows he could kiss this man forever, if allowed.

"Buck." Eddie whispers against the younger man's cheek while holding the other side of his face with a large, warm, calloused hand. "Buck, not that I'm complaining, but what-"

"Abby freaking _hit_ me when I turned down the chance she generously tried to give us to have some time alone." Buck whispers, kissing Eddie gently. "And then asked why I was coming to the wedding alone and I just… it finally clicked and I felt so _dumb_ , because I have had feelings for you for _so_ long, Eds. So long, that I just never considered they might be returned."

"Same." Eddie laughs softly.

Buck exhales in relief again and leans back into the corner of the couch, pulling Eddie into his side. The man goes willingly, placing a kiss on Buck's jaw and then smiling into the skin there.

"So. I'm sure Abby already amended my RSVP for me, but should I count her in for both of you."

Eddie laughs softly and reaches out for the remote.

"I might have already requested the time off and ordered Chris a new suit that'll fit him." Eddie mumbles before unpausing the film, allowing the explosions to cover up Buck's wheezing laugh as he hugs Eddie tight to his chest.

Eddie's been waiting for this moment so long, he can't bring himself to be anything but pleased at the heartwarming sound.


End file.
